Sims Billboard Magazine
March 2016 Callie Hunter covered the March 14th edition of Sims Billboard Magazine for its' 2016 run. The topics discussed within the article cover her new album Head In The Clouds and contain a overall review of the album and a track-by-track review. Overall Review CALLIE HUNTER’S FIFTH STUDIO ALBUM, HEAD IN THE CLOUDS, IS A SLOW BURNER March 14, 2016 – Callie Hunter has always been an artist whose music was bright and happy, even at its lowest point. Save for a song or two, Hunter has not been one to release dark, slow music, until now. Head In The Clouds ''is a conscious mix of Pop, R&B, Trap, and Alternative. It carries the R&B mood of her previous albums, has muddy trap energy, caresses alternative music at times, and wraps it all up into a radio friendly pop album sound. The album is a slow burner; the intro song is slow and steady, as is songs like “Adore,” “Again & Again” and “True Love” among others. There are some poppy moments like the lead single “Ridiculous” or the song “Pretty Girls” but mostly the album is a well-rounded whisper. Subtle and yet attention grabbing. The album didn’t receive nearly as much promotion as her former efforts yet it shot straight to the top of the MUZE live sales charts only 40 minutes after it was released. Nonetheless, there are some glitches as all albums have. The occasional cringe-inducing lyric, a note a bit too shrill, a weird collaboration with one of the best-selling soul singers of all time for a pop song, just to name a few. But despite its negatives, ''Head In The Clouds has so many positives its right up there at the top as its name suggests. It’s good pop with a bit more substance. Track-By-Track Review Intro – With a big room sound, Head In The Clouds’ untitled intro grabs you and sinks you into the world of music Callie Hunter has to offer. The bouncing 808s and the twinkling bells are hypnotizing and the vocal delivery is lush. Adore – The second collaboration between Callie Hunter and DJ clvnn (formally Calvin Ambrose), “Adore” is vastly different from the synth heavy 2014 #1 hit “Problem” with Iris Kingsley. “Adore” features clvnn’s signature style but with a softer tone, deeper bass, and dramatic builds. Hunter is in her element with echoing vocals and harmonies. The song quickly became a fan favorite upon release. Maybe it’ll see the light of day on radio this summer? Ridiculous – The lead single from Head In The Clouds, “Ridiculous” was a prime choice. The song peaked at #2 on the Hot 100 the week the parent album was released and became a huge success on the inaugural streaming chart publication that week too. Featuring a bit of a drug out rap verse courtesy of Raquel Divar, the song runs a bit long for a single but the exciting drop and catchy hook make up for that. Same Old Rhythm – To follow up the bombastic “Ridiculous” is the booming bass of “Same Old Rhythm” with its infectious synth riff. The song’s subtle harmonies, becoming a bit overbearing at times, are overall well-constructed. It definitely has hit potential and could take a home at pop radio. Again & Again – Despite the title, “Again & Again” is far from repetitive pop music. The song features a quote in the intro of the song and moves on at a moderate pace with whirling synths and snare drums. The backing choir is dramatic and the chorus is catchy. It could be a good fit among adult contemporary radio. True Love – Callie Hunter has said on multiple occasions that “True Love” was her personal favorite song on the album and it isn’t hard to see why. “True Love” is a good representation on the album as a whole. It’s a mix of many genres and has a novel charm to it. It’s simple and catchy, as most songs on this album. The flow of the song is easy to digest but it feels a bit experimental and a bit seasonal. Perfection – Up until now the album had felt a bit incomplete. Most of Hunter’s previous albums have had undertones of Hip-Hop. So far the album had no appearance from Jeff Jones or The Speakers, both frequent collaborators, leaving listeners craving a spiritual successor of “Thirsty” for two years. Luckily “Perfection” delivers. The jaunting beat, the silky vocals, the unique breakdown, everything about it is the reason why Callie Hunter and Jeff Jones are a dream team who has dominated R&B. Focus On Me – Normally when an artist comes out of retirement it’s for soundtrack or a special release, not a feature on a pop song. But that’s what happened when 76-year-old soul and blues singer Roy Ross decided to add his own raspy voice to Callie Hunter’s throwback Motown song. The clattering percussion is fun but the pre-chorus is the best part of the song with its dramatic build. Never Ending Love – The album’s only true ballad, “Never Ending Love” was a high point of excitement prior to the release of Head In The Clouds. It was the first non-holiday song collaboration between the two. Though the singers have worked extensively, Callie Hunter co-wrote Black’s lead single to his sophomore album “Braveheart” which he debuted at the 2016 SIMMYs as his coming out. The song is cool R&B, relaxed and modern. A good listen, they make good writing partners for a reason. Pretty Girls – A pop element is present on all tracks from Head In The Clouds but “Pretty Girls” and it’s metallic beat is the most radio ready song here. It’s heavy bass synth and snappy percussion is simple and yet all that is needed. The vocal acrobatics of the chorus are catchy and fun. It’s a summer hit to be for sure. Be My Baby – The album’s second single was a god choice. It has an instant characteristic to it that screams “this is a single!” which is why it isn’t hard to see that Hunter’s label wanted the song as a last minute addition. The chorus is chill, the verses have flare, and the rap verse is pretty calming, contrasted to Kid-Ty$on’s own music. The best part of this song is that while its sounds romantic its actually the chronical of a psychotic stalker. Who says Callie can’t have some fun in a song? On My Mind – From one screaming single choice to the next, “On My Mind” was originally intended to be the second single but instead was pushed back for later. The infectious harmony, the disco beat, the vocal delivery, everything about this song is stellar. The final chorus and its vocal adlibs really win the song over. Maybe this is a potential #1? The best of course was provided by music producer Robodruma, because who else could make this quality of disco pop? Renegade Vixen – Once the album was released “Renegade Vixen” took on a mind of its own. The finale song to an amazing album is by far its best track. The dark alternative sounds with the R&B flow makes for a bit of a Frankenstein’s monster in the pop music world but this song has charm that can’t be matched. Quickly it became a fan favorite, and good too as it was released the day after the album as the third single. Even if the song fails to be Hunter’s biggest and best song it has exceeded expectations and really shows a side of her unseen before; sexy, brash, and bold. And who could resist that epic guitar solo? Not us. Too Close – The firs deluxe song sees into what would have been when it comes to the album’s sound. Before Callie Hunter ditched the R&B sound to try for a House record (and failed sadly) the sound she had was one that was bright and happy. This song isn’t bad but it isn’t her best by far. It was potentially the forerunner for the entire sets sound but luckily Hunter opted for the darker more ambient sound instead. Be Yourself – Originally on the album (a common theme among these bonus songs), “Be Yourself” was the fateful song kick off for “Be My Baby” and while it was a smart choice, “Be Yourself” is a fantastic song. It’s an ode to late 80s dance-pop music with all the synths and house sounds possible. Plus the bridge is pretty cool. The Way It Is – Another song meant for the standard edition, “The Way It Is” was actually against “Ridiculous” for the title as lead single. After “Ridiculous” was picked this song fell into obscurity among the other outtakes until it was added on the bonus version of the album. It’s a good song, not as catchy as “Ridiculous” but the beat is much stronger and more House oriented. Move Your Body – Spite isn’t always good motivation but this song came of it so why not? “Move Your Body” was presumably written for ArtSims back in 2009 for her third album but not only did she turn it away she also reportedly said that Callie Hunter’s writing style was “Immature and childish” and so a hidden feud began. Though neither have confirmed that backstory, though Hunter did say this was turned down in her days as a ghostwriter, it’s a great song. It does sound a bit dated but it’s good, clean, fun pop music and that’s all that matters, right? Rating, Best Songs Overall Score: A- Best Songs: Renegade Vixen, Be My Baby, Adore Interview Your new album just was released, you said it was your best work, how has the reaction been for you? “I think it’s a bit overwhelming. I kinda planned on the album being sort of a family affair. That meaning, my faithful listeners and followers were really my demographic for this because they’d really appreciate my hard work.” Why did you want to limit your outreach and in what way was this different than your previous albums? “I felt that I made this album for the people who understand me as a person. As far as promotion goes, I just felt what I had done was enough to let my listeners know ‘album incoming’ but I guess internet hype can’t be measured.” What was different musically on this album? Did you approach this album any differently than your past work? “Well, my past albums were always curated by my label based on what they wanted to hear and not what I wanted to make. This album for the first time I had 100% artistic freedom and I took that and ran with it. I decided to make a few songs to test different sounds I wanted to try and chose my favorite one. It happened to be this really chill R&B kinda sound I love.” What was your reasoning behind naming your album “Head In The Clouds” “It was a bit of a reference to my older releases actually. It kind of went along with the theme that only my followers and listeners would understand it. It references my debut album Daydreaming in the sense that having your head in the clouds means your kind up there daydreaming and it also hints at my indie mixtape thing called Cloud 9. I noticed you always say ‘listeners’ or ‘followers’ and never ‘fans’ why is that? “I never like to think of the people who follow my social media or listen to music as fans because it feel a bit degrading to them. They are the ones paying my bills and making my dreams come true so how can I put them on a level beneath me? I feel like their my highest ranking boss and that I answer to them and them only.” Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten? “I’ll be nearly 32 in five years so I’ll be a full blown adult. Maybe have a kid by then and take some time off. In ten years I just hope I’m still happy and look good for 37, haha.”